Angels, Logan Porter Agree To Minor League Deal
The Angels are in agreement with catcher Logan Porter on a minor league contract, reports Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News. The Gaeta Sports Management client had elected free agency this morning after being outrighted by the Giants. He’ll report to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Porter backfills the catching depth after the Halos traded Austin Wynns to the Braves on Thursday. Atlanta selected Wynns onto the MLB roster, so it’s likely his minor league deal contained some kind of upward mobility provision. That left them with Omar Martinez and 28-year-old non-roster catcher Zach Humphreys at the Triple-A level. Martinez is the only healthy catcher on the 40-man aside from the MLB duo of Logan O’Hoppe and Sebastian Rivero.
The 30-year-old Porter spent two days on the Giants’ active roster in early May. They called him up after trading Patrick Bailey to Cleveland, getting him into one game as a pinch-runner after Christian Koss was hit by a pitch. Porter was quickly optioned back to Triple-A, where he hit .241/.292/.362 in 65 plate appearances this season. He’s a .244/.359/.389 batter over five Triple-A campaigns and has appeared in 17 big league contests over parts of three seasons.
Angels Select Samy Natera
The Angels announced they’ve selected lefty reliever Samy Natera onto the big league roster. He’ll step into the bullpen in place of Shaun Anderson, who has again been designated for assignment.
Natera is up for the first time in his career. The 26-year-old southpaw, a native of Mexico, pitched his college ball at New Mexico State. The Halos drafted him in the 17th round in 2022. Natera spent his first year as a starter, then lost almost of 2024 to injury. Los Angeles moved him to the bullpen a year ago. He showed a high strikeout, high walk profile in Double-A that has carried over at the top minor league level this year.
The 6’4″, 230-pound lefty owns an even 3.00 earned run average across 30 innings this year with Triple-A Salt Lake. He has punched out an excellent 34.4% of opponents but issued walks to more than 14% of batters faced. It’s a typical fastball-slider reliever profile, with Natera averaging 94-95 mph on the heater and sitting in the mid-80s with the breaking ball.
Baseball America has never rated Natera among the top 30 prospects in a weak Halos farm system. However, Brendan Gawlowski of FanGraphs slotted him 21st in the system last offseason. Gawlowski credits him with a plus slider but noted that a high-effort delivery has given him problems with his control. Natera joins Drew Pomeranz, Brent Suter and Mitch Farris in a rare four-lefty bullpen.
Anderson is off the roster in what has become a familiar routine. The Angels call him up, typically designate him for assignment after an appearance or two, then run him through waivers. He usually elects free agency and immediately re-signs on a minor league deal. His most recent call-up came on Wednesday, but he didn’t make an appearance in that day’s 11-4 blowout win over Colorado. The team was off yesterday. Anderson did get into nine MLB games in March and April, allowing a 5.94 ERA through 16 2/3 innings.
Braves Acquire Austin Wynns, Designate Chadwick Tromp
The Braves announced a slate of roster moves today, most notably shaking up their catching corps a bit. Atlanta acquired veteran catcher Austin Wynns from the Angels in exchange for cash (as first noted on the MLB.com transaction log) and selected him to the major league roster. Fellow backstop Chadwick Tromp was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Atlanta also selected the contract of outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to the 40-man roster and immediately optioned him back to Triple-A Gwinnett. They created a 40-man spot by transferring catcher Sean Murphy from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman notes that Keirsey had an opt-out in his minor league contract, and it seems the Braves didn’t want to let him hit the open market.
Wynns, 35, signed a minor league deal with the Halos just a couple weeks ago. He didn’t appear in the majors with them prior to this trade to Atlanta. Wynns has suited up for the Reds, A’s, Orioles, Giants, Dodgers and Rockies, compiling a lifetime .231/.276/.347 slash line in 826 big league plate appearances (293 games). That’s obviously below average but far better than the typical levels of offensive output from Tromp and fellow catcher Sandy Leon, who’ll split time with Wynns behind the plate following today’s shakeup.
On the defensive side of things, Wynns doesn’t draw premium framing grades, but Statcast thinks he’s solid when it comes to blocking balls in the dirt. More impressively, he’s shut down 30.2% of attempted base thieves in the majors — right in line with his career 31% mark in the minors.
Tromp appeared in a dozen games with the Braves and went 5-for-25 with a double, no walks, a sacrifice fly and a sacrifice bunt, leading to an oddball batting line of .200/.192/.240 in 27 trips to the plate. He’s a career .218/.225/.371 hitter in the majors. He’s spent most of the past five seasons in the Braves organization, so if he clears waivers following today’s DFA, there’s a good chance he’ll stick around, whether via accepting an outright assignment or briefly electing free agency and then returning on a new minor league deal.
Keirsey, 29, has appeared in parts of two seasons with the Twins (2024-25). He’s a speed-and-defense outfielder with a woeful .113/.149/.206 batting line in 102 major league plate appearances. His .260/.298/.384 slash so far in Triple-A doesn’t create much optimism, but he’s 16-for-17 in stolen bases and Atlanta apparently likes his wheels and defensive acumen enough to dedicate a 40-man roster spot to keeping him in the organization.
Angels Re-Sign Joey Lucchesi On Minor League Deal
The Angels announced they’ve re-signed reliever Joey Lucchesi to a minor league contract. He’d been released from his previous deal yesterday, presumably after triggering an opt-out clause.
Lucchesi has been on and off the roster since the end of Spring Training. He was in camp with the Giants on a minor league deal, opting out when San Francisco informed him he wouldn’t make the roster. Lucchesi signed a big league deal with the Halos and was on the Opening Day club. He was designated for assignment a couple weeks into the season.
The 6’5″ southpaw cleared waivers, elected free agency, then returned on a minor league deal. He was called back up in late April and the cycle repeated itself. Lucchesi returned on a second minor league contract after another quick DFA and free agent stint. He has made five MLB appearances this year, allowing six runs on seven hits and six walks over 3 1/3 innings.
Lucchesi has logged 18 frames with Salt Lake. He carries a 4.50 earned run average with a strong 28% strikeout rate against a manageable 9.9% walk percentage. They’re decent numbers overall, though he issued three walks and gave up two runs in his most recent appearance. He’ll re-join Tayler Saucedo and the just optioned Sam Aldegheri as depth options with the Bees. The Halos are carrying Drew Pomeranz, Brent Suter and Mitch Farris in the big league bullpen.
Angels Select Shaun Anderson
The Angels announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Shaun Anderson. He’ll take the active roster spot of left-hander Sam Aldegheri, who was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake after last night’s game. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot.
Anderson has been bouncing on and off the Halos’ roster for most of the past two years. Since he is out of options, he needs to be removed from the 40-man roster when the Angels want to swap him out for another pitcher. This is the fifth time he has been selected to the roster since the start of 2025. He gives the bullpen a fresh arm and is usually designated for assignment after a few appearances. Each time, he has cleared waivers, elected free agency and then re-signed.
It’s not just the Angels and Anderson who have this kind of arrangement. Carlos Carrasco has been doing a similar thing in Atlanta, ditto Albert Suárez in Baltimore. While those players would probably prefer more stable MLB gigs, the fact that they keep clearing waivers indicates no one is willing to give them that kind of job. In this setup, at least they get sporadic hits of major league pay and service time. The teams, meanwhile, effectively get a 41st man on their 40-man rosters.
Last night, Grayson Rodriguez started for the Angels and only lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs in the process. Aldegheri came in and pitched 5 1/3 scoreless frames to finish the game, throwing 89 pitches. Since Aldegheri wasn’t going to be available for the next few days, the Angels have added Anderson so that they won’t be short-handed in the bullpen.
Anderson has a 6.35 earned run average in 180 career innings, dating back to his 2019 debut with the Giants. Since the start of 2025, when his run with the Angels began, he has a 7.71 ERA in 28 innings. He’s been throwing four to five innings in his recent minor league appearances, so he gives the club an option for long relief if they need one again in the near future.
As for d’Arnaud, he landed on the 10-day IL on May 7th due to right foot plantar fasciitis. His 60-day count is retroactive to that date, so he’s ineligible to be reinstated until early July. His current status isn’t clear but the Angels evidently don’t expect him back for at least another month.
Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
Angels Release Joey Lucchesi
The Angels announced they’ve released lefty reliever Joey Lucchesi from his minor league contract. He’d spent the past month at Triple-A Salt Lake.
Lucchesi has been on and off the roster since the end of Spring Training. He was in camp with the Giants on a minor league deal, opting out when San Francisco informed him he wouldn’t make the roster. Lucchesi signed a big league deal with the Halos and was on the Opening Day club. He was designated for assignment a couple weeks into the season.
The 6’5″ southpaw cleared waivers, elected free agency, then returned on a minor league deal. He was called back up in late April and the cycle repeated itself. Lucchesi returned on a second minor league contract after another quick DFA and free agent stint. He has made five MLB appearances this year, allowing six runs on seven hits and six walks over 3 1/3 innings.
Lucchesi has logged 18 frames with Salt Lake. He carries a 4.50 earned run average with a strong 28% strikeout rate against a manageable 9.9% walk percentage. They’re decent numbers overall, though he issued three walks and gave up two runs in his most recent appearance.
The Angels didn’t specify whether Lucchesi triggered an opt-out in his deal. That seems plausible, as June 1 is a common opt-out date for veterans on minor league contracts. In any case, the team opted not to bring Lucchesi back into an MLB bullpen that already has Drew Pomeranz and Brent Suter. Long relievers Mitch Farris and Sam Aldegheri, the latter of whom was recalled today, also throw from the left side.
Royals Claim Matthew Lugo, Select Beck Way
The Royals have claimed outfielder Matthew Lugo off waivers from the Angels, according to announcements from both clubs. The Halos had designated him for assignment last week. The Royals have optioned him to Triple-A Omaha. Additionally, the Royals announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Beck Way and optioned right-hander Eli Morgan. Kansas City had two 40-man openings for Lugo and Way due to catcher Elias Díaz and left-hander Bailey Falter being designated for assignment in recent weeks. The Royals also announced today that Falter cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha. Díaz was outrighted last week.
Lugo, now 25, seemed to have a breakout season in 2024. Originally a draftee of the Red Sox, he was traded to the Angels that summer as part of the deal sending Luis García to Boston. Between those two organizations, Lugo hit .287/.376/.578 in the minors for a massive 156 wRC+, indicating he was 56% better than league average offensively.
Unfortunately, his results since then haven’t been nearly as encouraging. He has 642 minor league plate appearances dating back to the start of 2025 with a .261/.339/.430 line and 91 wRC+. He has also been sent the plate 70 times in the big leagues, with a .232/.243/.464 line and 89 wRC+ in those. Defensively, he’s considered a passable corner outfielder but isn’t elite out there. He has some ability on the basepaths, generally stealing 10 to 20 bases a year in the minors.
Ideally, Lugo will get his offense back to that form he showed in 2024, or something close to it. The Royals had some open roster space and Lugo has options, so there’s little harm in putting in a claim to get a close-up look at him at Omaha. He has a couple of options remaining, so he could be easily kept on the farm through the end of the 2027 season, though it’s also possible he gets bumped off the 40-man roster before then.
Way, 26, was a fourth-round pick of the Yankees in 2020. He was one of three players sent to the Royals in the 2022 deadline deal sending Andrew Benintendi to the Bronx. A starter at that time, Way has since been moved to a relief role. Last year’s results weren’t strong, as he posted a 5.93 earned run average in 74 1/3 innings on the farm.
This year’s numbers have been much better, though his 4.50 ERA in 30 innings doesn’t jump off the page. If it weren’t for a .361 batting average on balls in play and 62.5% strand rate, his ERA would be notably lower, hence his 3.22 FIP. His 32.6% strikeout rate and 50% ground ball rate are both well above average, while his 7.8% walk rate is also better than par. His four-seamer and sinker are both averaging in the upper 90s. He also throws a cutter, slider and changeup.
The Royals will give him a shot to see if he can get big league hitters out. Since this is his first major league call, he has a full slate of options, meaning he could be shuttled to Omaha and back when the club needs fresh arms.
Falter, 29, was acquired from the Pirates at last year’s deadline. Since then, he has been either injured or ineffective. Late last year, a left bicep contusion put him on the IL for over a month. This year, left elbow inflammation put him on the IL for about six weeks. Around those IL stints, he put up an ugly 12.46 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. He is out of options, so that performance got him bumped into DFA limbo and through the waiver wire unclaimed.
The lefty has the right to elect free agency but is unlikely to do so. Players with at least three years of big league service time have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of the open market, but they need five years of service to exercise that right while keeping their salary commitments in place. Falter is under the five-year line and making $3.6MM this year, so he presumably doesn’t want to walk away from that money.
Assuming he accepts his assignment, he’ll try to get back on track in Omaha and earn his way back onto the roster. Prior to joining the Royals, he was working as a decent back-end guy. He logged 296 innings for the Pirates with a 4.32 ERA.
Photo courtesy of Cary Edmondson, Imagn Images
AL West Notes: Miller, Castillo, Langford, Rangers, Moore
Bryce Miller will start and Luis Castillo will again be the piggyback pitcher for the Mariners on Sunday, but the team will then adopt a six-man rotation, the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude writes. Friday’s game with the Diamondbacks kicked off a stretch of 16 games in 17 days for the Mariners, so shifting back to a six-man rotation will help keep the entire pitching staff fresh. The rotation plan will then be re-evaluated on June 15 (Seattle’s next off-day), and sticking with the six-man format could be an option, if the M’s don’t again use two starters in a piggyback set-up.
Simply establishing a plan for the next couple of weeks is a positive step for the Mariners, as both Miller and Castillo weren’t pleased with what they felt was a lack of communication from the club. Manager Dan Wilson, pitching coach Pete Woodworth, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, and GM Justin Hollander all spoke with the two right-handers this week and now everyone seems to be “on the same page,” as Miller put it. Emerson Hancock‘s breakout season has given Seattle six viable starters and a bit of awkwardness in how to best manage everyone’s workload, though in the big picture, there’s no such things as too much good pitching for a team hoping to make an even deeper playoff run.
More from around the AL West…
- Wyatt Langford is slated to start a Triple-A rehab assignment today. The Rangers outfielder hasn’t played since April 21 due to a right forearm strain, and his stay on the 10-day injured list has been longer than expected since Langford’s previous attempt at a minor league rehab stint was paused due to more forearm discomfort. Pegged by many as a candidate for a true breakout in 2026, Langford got off to a slow start before his IL placement, hitting only .238/.274/.363 in his first 84 plate appearances.
- In addition to Langford, Rangers manager Skip Schumaker also gave reporters (including the Dallas Morning News’ Shawn McFarland) updates on two other sidelined players. Corey Seager is set for a live batting practice today, a week after a previous live BP session was postponed due to more soreness in the shortstop’s ailing back. “The running has been maybe the main thing” holding Seager back, Schumaker said, through Seager has been able to play catch and take swings. Josh Smith has also rejoined the Rangers and restarted baseball activities, though as with Seager, there isn’t any timetable for when Smith might be back in the Texas lineup. A right glute strain sent Smith to the 10-day IL on May 4, but what was initially expected to be a minimal IL stint was extended due to wrist soreness, and then the more serious matter of a bout of viral meningitis that led to a hospital stay.
- Former Angels top prospect Christian Moore exclusively played second base in his first two pro seasons but he has split his time between second and third base this season at Triple-A Salt Lake. Moore is now getting a look at the entirely new position of left field, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes. Angels assistant GM Joey Prebynski said Moore will be used at all three positions, and “for us, it’s just about continuing to get him reps out there, seeing balls off the bat in left field.” No team in baseball has gotten less from its left fielders in 2026 than the Angels, as Josh Lowe‘s struggles (and subsequent demotion to Triple-A) have been the biggest reason why the position has been a black hole for the team. With the Oswald Peraza/Adam Frazier platoon in place at second base, Moore’s next trip to the majors could very well see him get much more time away from his natural position. Moore made his MLB debut last season and hit only .198/.284/.370 over 184 PA, but he has continued to crush Triple-A pitching in his second year at the top minor league level, with a .282/.439/.481 to show for 171 PA for Salt Lake in 2026.
Angels Designate Matthew Lugo For Assignment, Select Nick Madrigal
The Angels announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Nick Madrigal. He’ll take the active roster spot of first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who has been placed on the ten-day injured list with left ankle inflammation, retroactive to May 24th. To open a 40-man spot, outfielder Matthew Lugo has been designated for assignment.
Schanuel has been dealing with the ankle issue for a few days and hasn’t been in the lineup since Saturday. Since he’s been out for a while, the Halos were able to backdate his IL placement by the three-day maximum. It’s unclear how much time his ankle will take to heal but he will be eligible for activation in a week.
He has been having a down year in an odd way, with his walks drying up. His ability to get on-base has been his best asset, with a walk rate of 11.3% coming into this year. That is now down to just 6.3% in the current season, barely half of his previous pace. He swung at 26.2% of pitches outside the zone from 2023 to 2025 but that number is up to 28.6% this year. He made contact on those outside-the-zone swings 76.4% of the time in previous seasons but just 65.2% this year.
The result of that reduced plate discipline is a .262/.313/.387 line and 96 wRC+ on the year, a drop from his .259/.353/.371 line and 107 wRC+ in previous campaigns. Perhaps the ankle injury will give him a chance to reset and get back on track once he’s healthy.
Though Schanuel isn’t having his best season, it’s still a blow to an Angels club that is already in a tough spot. They are 21-34, tied with the Tigers for the worst record in the American League. Schanuel’s 96 wRC+ may be subpar but is still fifth on the team among guys with at least 20 plate appearances.
They will probably now have to cover first base with guys like Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Peraza. Grissom has a .233/.308/.379 line and 92 wRC+ on the year. Peraza is faring much better but is currently the second baseman. Moving him to first would probably mean more time at second base for Adam Frazier, who has a .236/.313/.375 line and 94 wRC+.
As the Halos juggle those guys around, Madrigal will give them a glove-first backup option. He has over 1,300 innings at second base and almost 700 at third with strong grades at both spots. He has stolen 17 bases in 23 tries.
Offensively, he has a contact-based approach with very little power and few walks but very few strikeouts. In 940 trips to the plate, his 4.6% walk rate and 9% strikeout rate are both much lower than average and he has just four home runs. That has led to a .274/.323/.344 line and 88 wRC+.
Despite the lack of punch from the batter’s box, the speed and defense had been enough to get him opportunities. Unfortunately, his 2025 season was wiped out by shoulder surgery. He had to settle for a minor league deal with the Angels coming into 2026. He has a .275/.353/.366 line for Triple-A Salt Lake this year. In the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League, that translates to a wRC+ of 80.
Adding Madrigal will cost Lugo his roster spot. A second-round pick of the Red Sox, Lugo was one of four players the Halos acquired from the Sox in the 2024 Luis García trade. He was given a 40-man roster spot in November of that year to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to maintain the improved offense he showed that year. Between those two clubs, he slashed .287/.376/.578 on the farm in 2024, leading to a huge 156 wRC+. Since the start of 2025, he has a minor league line of .261/.339/.430, leading to a 91 wRC+. He has stepped to the plate 70 times in the majors and produced a .232/.243/.464 line and 89 wRC+.
In addition to the struggles at the plate, his defensive home has been a question. The Sox tried him out at shortstop and third base but moved him to the outfield in 2023. He’s considered a passable but not especially strong fielder in a corner spot.
Lugo now heads into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Angels could take as long as five days to explore trade interest. He is still optionable, which could appeal to clubs in need of outfield depth. If he were to clear waivers, he would stick with the Halos as non-roster depth. Since he doesn’t have a previous career outright and is shy of three years of service time, he wouldn’t have the right to elect free agency.
Photo courtesy of Cary Edmondson, Imagn Images
Angels Sign Alex Faedo To Minor League Deal
The Angels signed reliever Alex Faedo to a minor league contract last week. He has been assigned to the team’s Arizona Complex for the time being. He’ll build into game shape before reporting to a higher level affiliate, likely Triple-A Salt Lake.
Faedo was a first-rounder by the Tigers in 2017. The Florida product pitched parts of three MLB seasons, posting a 4.51 ERA across 175 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old righty missed more bats following a move to the bullpen in 2024. He allowed 3.61 earned runs per nine but was designated for assignment over the 2024-25 offseason. The Rays acquired Feado in a minor trade but got nothing out of the deal, as the righty went on the injured list with a shoulder issue.
The 6’6″ righty spent the entire season on Tampa Bay’s injured list. The Rays placed him on waivers at the beginning of the offseason when the injured list went away. He went unclaimed and elected minor league free agency.
Faedo will take some time to build up and put himself on the radar for a midseason look. The Halos have had one of the worst bullpens in the American League. They have the second-highest bullpen ERA (5.41) in the Junior Circuit. They’re middle of the pack in strikeout rate but have issued walks at the third-highest clip in MLB.